My kids start back to school on Monday. This time of year brings on a contradiction of feelings for me. First, I am giddy with excitement that my kids will soon be back in school. I will no longer have to figure out ways to entertain them during the long hot summer days or keep them from killing each other. You can only bribe them with Popsicles and Yahtzee for so long before bodily harm starts becoming a viable option.
On the other hand, there are few things I hate more than back to school shopping. It torments me. I walk in circles along the cardboard outposts filled with glue sticks and highlighters with my kids’ supply lists in one hand and an optimistic pen in the other. It starts declining quite fast after that. I meet eyes with a few other moms that have the same look of abandon in their eyes while searching for an elusive orange 3 subject notebook and wondering what the hell the school will do with 1000 boxes of Ziploc sandwich bags. (True story: last year, I had to purchase 15 boxes of baby wipes- not for a baby, but for school supplies.)
A sense of accomplishment floods over me with each find as I cockily toss 5 bottles of Elmer’s White Glue into the cart and mark it off the list. But my confidence is shaken by a few items that I can’t find, this year it was Expo Dry Erase markers, low odor, with bullet tip. Four stores and five hours later, a little part of me died when I found these markers and paid $7.89 for them.
Whether your back to school shopping includes uniforms, a new trendy wardrobe or just basic classroom supplies, this venture seems to be getting more and more costly each year. The lists seem to get longer and more detailed as the kids get older, too.
With four kids and four different lists to fulfill, I get overwhelmed. Folders with prongs or without? Sharpies with fine point or extra fine? Wide lined or college ruled? It’s enough to make me hyperventilate in the middle of the stationary aisle.And all the while, trying to get the most for my money.
I look at ads, try to find coupons, and shop the sales. I stay away from overpriced things like Hello Kitty notebooks and the glittery ruler that doubled as a bracelet (which I’ll admit, I even thought was kind of cool!) It seems no matter how well thought out my shopping trip is, I inevitably forget things, get the wrongthings and still end up spending way more than I thought I would. School supply shoppers, let’s band together and learn from eachother’s mistakes and good deals.
What is your back to school money saving advice?
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Horizon Organic brand.
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